Crumbling Reich: A Weimar Republic Game (Gameplay Thread)

[RGM2609]

Hugenberg holds massive rally in Berlin

Alfred Hugenberg called on to thousands of DNVP members, DNVP fans and Die Stalhelm soldiers to come at a rally in Berlin. Hugenberg spoke for 2 hours despite its official duration of 20 minutes, and he ranted and rambled on a lot of subjects. He first of all announced the formation of the Black, Red and White League which will promote candidates who will fight to bring back the Kaiser. Its members are the DNVP and other conservative parties, namely the German Peoples Party, the Christian Social Peoples Party, the Reich Party of the German Middle Class, the German Farmers Party, the Agricultural League, the German Country People, the German Hanoverian Party and the Peoples Justice Party. He then moved on to discuss the motion to censure him, about which he said that it is the biggest joke ever proposed in the Reichstag, and that says a lot. He said that the communists and the Weimar establishment are desperate to silence him and to prevent his message from being heard by the voters, and rejoiced in the fact that it failed to pass, saying it is the biggest defeat of the usurpers since the Republic was founded. He also defended the actions from Breslau, saying that thousands in the slums were greatly helped by them while those who betrayed Germany in 1918 were punished. He underlined his endorsement of President Hindenburg, calling him the right choice and a man of deep integrity who will always fight for Germany, and urged all of those present to vote for his reelection, however he said that anyone who is not a part of the Weimar establishment or the KPD would be a good choice. However, the main part of the speech was focused on the communists. He declared them a plague that needs to be treated and the greatest threat to all German patriots. He also said that the SPD is no different, backing all sorts of dangerous, socialist policies, and the only difference between them is their foreign allegiance. He proclaimed that getting rid of leftism in all of its ugly forms will be the top priority for the DNVP and Die Stalhelm.

Die Stalhelm cause Mayhem in Berlin after the big rally

It is currently unknown whether they were inspired by the rants of Hugenberg about communists or the drinks, but a few hours after the rally ended, 1.500 soldiers of Die Stalhelm started hunting down Communist militias. They were joined by the 750 members of the SA who were also there with the same purpose.

[PSOL]

Adolf Hitler

Speaking briefly in Munich, Hitler expressed disappointment in Professor Schmitt's decision to decline the propaganda position. Instead, Hitler has offered the Propaganda position to a fellow member of the NSDAP, Joseph Goebbels.

In a speech in Frankfurt, Hitler indicated that should he be elected President, his first choice for Chancellor would be Alfred Hugenberg.

The NDSAP will have 750 members of the SA on the streets of Berlin, targeting communists.

You’re getting yourself in a fight that you’ll very easily lose, y’know.

[Devout Centrist]

(Courtesy of u/rose-tinted-cynic)

Ernst Thälmann Presidential Campaign Platform

Economic Policy:
1. Guarantee Employment to All Adult Germans!
2. Nationalize the Commanding Heights of the Economy, including the Defense, Energy, and Automotive Sectors.
3. Stabilize the Agricultural Sector with Price Controls, Trade Amongst The International Proletariat, and by Reducing the Power of the Junker Class.
4. Instruct the Reichsbank President to Cut the National Interest Rate to 0%
5. A Week-Long Bank Holiday to Support a Working Class Recover
6. An Immediate Halt to Foreign Reparation Payments
7. Massive State Investment in Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Infrastructure.
8. State Support for the Trade Union Movement.
9. Full Insurance for all German Deposits.

Social Policy:
1. An Immediate Ban on Anti-Worker and Anti-Social Militias.
2. An End to State Cooperation with the Freikorps.
3. Continued Progress towards Ethnic and Gender Equality.
4. Embrace State Federalism in Service of a Worker’s Republic.
5. Embrace Total Secularism in Religious Affairs.

Foreign Policy:
1. Work Towards Rapprochement with the International Proletariat.
2. Aid the German Road to Socialism through Peaceful Diplomatic Relationships.
3. Empower the International Proletariat Overseas
4. Negotiate within the League of Nations
5. Form International Alliances that Aim to Prevent Warfare

Full Statement from Comrade Thälmann to come...

[Devout Centrist]

Statement from KPD Leader Ernst Thälmann on the Violence in Berlin

Enough is enough! The Anti-Worker violence on display in Berlin sickens every member of the German Proletariat. Our brothers and sisters are being mercilessly gunned down before our very eyes. Hitler's squad of reactionary goons and his mentally challenged lapdog Hugenburg must be brought to heel!

I am calling on President Hindenburg to swiftly bring an end to the violence in the streets. Additionally, I am authorizing the RFB to defend the working men and women of Berlin by any means necessary! If the Government is unable to stop these Fascists thugs, the KPD will take all appropriate action to restore order and protect our working class brethren.

I call on the Iron Front to join the RFB in the streets, in the spirit of working class solidarity. Today, we will formally enshrine our new Anti-Fascist Alliance. Workers of Germany, arm yourselves!

[KaiserDave]

The Reich


Wikimedia Commons

Berlin at War

Berlin seems to be a new battleground, as political violence has reached a pitch previously unseen since 1918. Egged on by party leaders, excitable youths have taken to the streets under the red fist, the swastika, and the triple arrow. Armed with cudgels, clubs, brass knuckles, knives, and their own fists, these teenagers mostly have engaged in savage violence on the streets of the capital. Outside of Berlin the Nazi's and their brownshirts, seemed to have an edge, especially in the reactionary north of Germany in escalating fighting where Communists seem to be routinely beaten in the streets. Berlin being largely favorable to the left, the Communists had the edge in numbers and with an emphasis on fighting the Sturmabteilung (SA), won the day in many neighborhoods. The only thing stopping the Communists from taking control of most of the city totally was the arrival of Der Stalhelm in collaboration with federal police. Armed with rifles and with armored cars, they have cleaned up several neighborhoods. But alas for every Red Front Fighter beaten senseless, another two springs up. It seems that the communist ideal has pervaded so much of the capital. Peaceful campaigning off course persists, but political violence has never been higher. Artur Mahraun's Jungdo has made waves with the general population for their attempts to bring peace to the streets, and fighting off the Brown and the Red.

In response to the violence, Interior Minister Wilhelm Groener has issued a ban on the Red Front Fighters, the SA, and the Nazi SS. Though enforcement is expected to be weak. President Hindenburg is reportedly horrified at the growing Communist Party, and is increasing skeptical of the usefulness of Parliament after reading some of the writings of one Carl Schmitt. A new Chancellor is expected to be appointed soon.

Wikimedia Commons

Marxist icon, and leader of the Communist Party Ernst Thälmann responded to a list of questions submitted to him below.

Q. Do you believe that the "social fascists" of the SPD or the "imperialists" of the NSDAP are a bigger threat to the workers of Germany?

A. At present, the blatant lies and slander of the NSDAP pose a much larger threat to the German working class. Herr Hitler represents the most malignant strains of militarism, capitalism, and imperialism mixed in the speech and character of one man. Any outside observer will tell you that his deceit is perpetuated on an industrial scale. This is to say nothing of his incestuous relationship with the robber barons of the capitalist system or the bloodthirsty militarists of the Ruhr. I have no doubt that his election would mean the total annihilation of the German nation.

Q. Do you believe that the Jewish people have been specifically victimized by capitalism?

A. Der Antisemitismus ist der Sozialismus der dummen Kerle. Our Jewish brothers and sisters have been exploited ruthlessly by the capitalist system. The militarists and the industrialists, however, take this exploitation to shockingly new lows. They allege that the Jewish people are single handedly responsible for our loss in the Great War. This conspiracy is perpetuated by imperialists and monarchists who served at the highest levels of government in the pre-war Deutsche Reich. These men lie to the working class, hoping to deceive and divide us against a common goal.

Let me remind the German people that these same men sent millions of our brothers to their deaths in the fiery cauldron of the Western Front or in the snows of the Russian tundra. The blood is singularly on their hands. The national humiliation belongs to men like Hugenberg, Ludendorff, and Kaiser Wilhelm. These men failed Deutschland in 1918. I have no reason to doubt they would do the same in 1932.


Q. Do you believe that Germany has a right to historically Germanic lands?

A. The KPD believes in the ideal of working class self-determination. Should formerly German lands vote to rejoin Deutschland, in a fair and popular vote, we would gladly welcome them back into the nation. But we vociferously oppose any militarist or imperialist effort to reclaim lands lost in the Great War. We support solidarity with the working class of Europe. The international proletariat must not be undermined by jingoistic claims made by reactionaries.

Q. Do you believe the Weimar constitution should be preserved?

A. I think it’s clear that the Weimar Constitution has failed. While it provides some important rights to the working class, the document in its totality is a clear obstacle on the German road to socialism. At the bare minimum, we must put more limits on the power of the Weimar Presidency and create a fair system of representation that serves the interests of the German working class, not the capitalist class.

Q. Should the KPD enter an alliance with Social Democrats to stop Hugenberg or Hitler?


A. The KPD is willing to support the SPD against the existential threat posed by men like Hitler, Hugenberg, and Goebbels. For the German working class to survive, we must hurtle the capitalists and the imperialists into the dustbin of history. To that end, we must form an anti-fascist front against the NSDAP and their DNVP lapdogs. Whatever our misgivings with the SPD, we are willing to stand with them on this issue.

Wikimedia Commons

Willy Leow (right), leader in the RFB, pictured with party leader Thälmann (left) responded to a list of questions submitted to him

Q. What do you make of the NSDAP and the Social Democrats?

A. The rise of a new brand of bourgeois politics emulated by the NSDAP who mislead the proletariat into remaining subservient for false promises and a spectacle of sorts. In this time, with such rampant poverty, the fascists have used current conditions to scapegoat a wide array of actors and groups to gain electoral support. What with the regular bourgeois parties and SPD doing nothing to stem the poverty and continue to not realize that that Capitalism is going to end soon, I am not surprised at this last ditch attempt to preserve the system.

Q. What do you say to veterans and soldiers who shed blood for the nation in the Great War, a war that you say is "imperialist"?

A. The Great War was a disastrous war that has only served the tools of the winning bourgeois. Our country is in shambles all because of the whims of the bourgeois class here that were more willing to profit off the war. To the veterans, I say open your eyes to the reality of the conflict and how bourgeois politics uses it to sustain itself.

Q. Do you believe the Weimar constitution should be preserved?


A. Absolutely not, it is reliant on up keeping the failure of Liberal Democracy that consistently fails the German workers.

Q. What do you say to those who accuse you of being lapdogs of Moscow?

A. Nothing but lies. While we have cordial relations with the leaders of the Soviet Union, we are not subservient to them or any other lie the opposition will cook up.

Q. What do you view as the primary role of the RFB?

A. Protecting the German worker from expressing themselves and ensuring a helpful hand in making it to a Communist society.




Upcoming Events

Presidential Election First Round: 13 March
Presidential Election Second Round (if necessary): 10 April

*PM me if you want an interview
**Presidential campaign post will be next opening up the campaigning phase which will last roughly 4-5 days depending on how things go

[RGM2609]

Hugenberg praises Der Stalhelm again, proclaims Berlin the first Communist-freed area

Alfred Hugenberg praised Der Stalhelm again, claiming that they have done a great deed in preventing Communists from taking over Berlin and potentially launching a revolution against President Hindenburg. He proclaimed Berlin to be the first Communist-free area of Germany, as the DNVP troops have cleansed it up of the red plague, as he put it. He urged all Der Stalhelm soldiers to be careful and vigilant, in the name of Germany, the DNVP and the Kaiser, as this year is likely to decide the fate of the nation. He then promised the country that Der Stalhelm will always be there to forcefully enforce the ban on the Red Front Fighters if the authorities are unable to, which is reportedly what he also said to the Der Stalhelm commanders in a private meeting after the Berlin mayhem.

[NewYorkExpress]

Hitler reportedly weighing sacking Ernst Rohm

According to insiders, Adolf Hitler is considering removing Ernst Rohm from his position as Commander of the SA, because of differences in political opinion.

Hitler likely will make no such moves until after the Presidential Election, however.

As for the other prominent Nazi who disagrees with Hitler politically, Gregor Strasser, Hitler has offered him the post of Vice Chancellor in a Government in which Hitler is President, and the condition that the Chancellor (who likely would be Hugenberg) cannot meet with a President Hitler without being in the presence of a Vice Chancellor Strasser.

Hitler has also called for a No-Confidence vote against Interior Minister Groener in the Reichstag.

[Kingpoleon]

The Actions of Artur Mahraun

In recent days, Artur Mahraun has conducted a series of meetings. He has met with all member parties of the so called Black, Red, and White league barring the DNVP, promising to represent “a Germany for Germans.” He has arranged meetings with Kaiser Wilhelm II, President Hindenburg, and the Interior Minister. While others conduct rallies and release platforms, Mahraun has constructed a team of allies. He has angled for the votes of monarchists, nationalists, liberals, and even Catholics, in what is called “The Broad Coalition”.

Whether this team he is assembling shows he is pushing to become President or Chancellor remains to be seen, but it will be revealed in the coming days.

[Devout Centrist]

(Courtesy of Wikimedia)

Ernst Thälmann für Reichspräsident: Hope through Socialism

(Courtesy of Wikimedia)

Comrades, Brothers and Sisters, I am speaking to you today from the Sportpalast Hall in Berlin! I want to make plain my thoughts on the current political situation and clearly state my plans for the upcoming Presidential election.

Comrades, I am officially announcing my candidacy for President of Germany! Today, I stand before you to make the case for socialism, for humanity, and for hope.

Brothers and sisters, I do not need to tell you what you already know. The state of our Nation saddens every German man and woman. The German worker has been left destitute and defenseless against the machinations of the bourgeoisie and the industrialists. The fascist militias of Hitler and Hugenburg viciously attack the working man in the streets of every German city.

That is why I am running for President, comrades! The only solution to the economic and political crisis of our day is socialism. Socialism in service of humanity. Socialism that supports the working man. Socialism that protects Germany from the capitalist, the imperialist, and the fascist.

As your President, I will enact policies designed to free the working class from the chains forged by the capitalist system. Under a President Thälmann, the German worker will receive fair political representation, higher wages, and guaranteed employment. No man or woman will be subject to the harsh economic banditry of the capitalist system. We will end the misery of deprivation once and for all!

My administration will seek to build ties with the international proletariat around the world. They are our brothers in this struggle and we must stand by their side. We will support a system of international peace brought about through socialism. No more imperialist warfare!

Comrades, our struggle requires working class solidarity. With your support, we will be able to bring about a better world from the ashes of the old. Workers of Germany, unite!

[GoTfan]

Otto Wels

Throughout the turbulent months, Wels remained a voice for calm and unity for the German people. He called for all Germans to set aside their differences and stand as one in order to revive their nation, and presented the plan of the SDP in order to restore the economy, based on a desire to put people back to work:

• Costruction of an Autobahn network to link German cities
• Modernisation of the railway network
• Food distribution centres across the country, paying farmers for crops donated
• Expansion of civilian industry to provide consumer goods
• Revival of angriculture through innovative policies feed the nation

Wels, disappointed by the defeat of his motion to censure and condemn Hugenberg, threw himself into campainging for the left. At the same time, he remained a staunch opponent of Thalmann's communists, deriding them as "Red-painted Nazis".

[RGM2609]

Hugenberg and the DNVP propose the censure of Ernst Thalmann

Today, a proposal has been submitted at the Reichstag by the DNVP members, calling for KPD leader and Presidential candidate Ernst Thalmann to be formally censured and condemned. They accused Thalmann of being affiliated with and leading a banned organization, the Red Front Fighters, of being a spy for the Soviet Union, of taking orders from Moscow and of promoting a criminal ideology which is dangerous for the sovereignty of Germany.

[KaiserDave]

Presidential Election of 1932


Wikimedia Commons

Campaign Season


Campaigning has begun in earnest for the German Presidential Election of 1932. Pamphlets litter the streets and posters cover the buildings and street posts. Flags of the Republic and the Empire fly in the streets, but in Berlin no flag is more common that the red flag. Protesting the ban of the Red Front Fighters on the onset of the campaigning, thousands of communists march in the streets with posters proclaiming "Down with Groener" and "Down with Fascism." They are singing the Internationale, and the Marching Song of the Red Front. The protests have been mostly peaceful but on the periphery fighting has broken out between Red Front Fighters and Brownshirts despite both groups being illegal. Der Stalhelm, and the Jungdo, have both tried to contain violence, though Der Stalhelm has largely acted in support of the Brownshirts despite the Brownshirts being an illegal group. The political tensions have never been higher since the Kapp Putsch or even the heavy days of 1919. In this tension there is a presidential election, and a critical campaign. Here are the declared candidates:

Reichpräsident Paul von Hindenburg: Independent
Herr Adolf Hitler: NSDAP
Herr Ernst Thälmann: KPD
Herr Karl Borromäus Frank: SAP

Hindenburg is a strong favorite to be reelected, but if the Social Democrats nominate their own candidate everything could be thrown into chaos. Perhaps giving Hitler an opening to pull out an unthinkable win, and give him access to dictatorial authority. The winner of this election will be able to pick the next Chancellor and hold great power. But it will be up to the voters.



Presidential Election First Round: 13 March
Presidential Election Second Round (if necessary): 10 April

First Round results will be calculated and released July 12th, until then, campaign! You can still declare a candidacy, but please do soon. Results will be determined by a dice roll, quality of posts, historical precedent, and in game political alliances and maneuvers. Best of luck!

[NewYorkExpress]

Adolf Hitler

Hitler spends much of his time campaigning in  Northern Germany and Bavaria.

He calls for lifting the shackles of the Treaty of Versailles, achieving an Anchluss with Austria, wiping Poland off the map, and putting Germans back to work.

Hitler's top NDSAP Party members, Gregor Strasser and Hernan Goering are campaigning across Germany for him on a similar platform.

Hilter also left Germany briefly, hoping to get fellow fascist, and Dictator of Italy,  Benito Mussolini to back his campaign. The two met in Rome, at the end of February.

[Devout Centrist]

Ernst Thälmann für Reichspräsident Campaign Schedule

March 1st: Comrade Thälmann launches his campaign in Berlin with a rally at the Sportpalast, followed by a tour of the RFB-operated soup kitchens and an impromptu speech to the working men injured in recent street violence.

March 2nd: Thälmann begins a whistle stop tour across the German industrial heartland, beginning in Magdeburg. The campaign tours a factory in the city and Herr Thälmann addresses an audience at the Centraltheater.

March 3rd: The campaign heads to Merseburg. There, Comrade Thälmann works at one of the local soup kitchens for the better part of two hours before shaking hands with onlookers and distributing pamphlets.

March 4: Next stop is the city of Leipzig, where the campaign organizes a march of striking workers at the Porsche plant. Comrade Thälmann explains his economic plan to local socialist leaders.

March 5: Comrade Thälmann visits Dresden, meeting with a modern art collective and distributing Party aid to recently laid off factory workers.

March 6: The campaign swings west, as Thälmann travels to Thuringia. He gives a speech over the radio in Erfurt, followed by a tour of several working class neighborhoods.

March 7th: On the 7th, the campaign turns towards Hanover, with a brief stop at a local KPD office and a speech outside the Staatsoper.

March 8th: Comrade Thälmann finally arrives in Dusseldorf Ost and begins a three day tour of Cologne, Dortmund, and Essen. On the 8th, the campaign visits Essen and Thälmann meets local workers outside a beer hall.

March 9th: Thälmann reaches Dortmund and meets with leaders of the local RFB branch. Comrade Thälmann talks with recently laid off workers and gives a brief speech about the need for a government that serves the working class.

March 10th: The campaign concludes its tour of the Rhineland with a visit to Cologne. There, he holds a speech outside the Cologne Cathedral and marches across the Hohenzollern Bridge with several thousand KPD loyalists.

March 11th: The campaign leaves the Rhine and visits Hamburg, where Thälmann addresses a large crowd of KPD sympathizers outside a soup kitchen.

March 12th: With the first round drawing closer, the campaign stops in Stettin. Comrade Thälmann addresses several hundred striking workers at a local dockyard before giving an interview to the local press.

March 13: As voting begins, Thälmann travels back to Berlin to meet with supporters and turn out the vote.

[KaiserDave]

The Reich


Interviewing Kurt Schumacher

Wikimedia Commons

Social Democrat, and ardent Republican Kurt Schumacher responded to a list of questions submitted to him below.

Q. Who do you believe is the greatest threat to the Republic?

A. It's insidious right-wingers in the form of the DNVP and the NSDAP. They have often been the arbiters of violence against the citizens of Germany, as has been shown frequently in the recent months. The attacks against innocent citizens in Breslau committed by Die Stalhelm is nothing more than a terrorist attack, and it certainly doesn't show Hugenberg as a preserver of peace, especially when he calls it an act of justice and then proceeds to take the stolen property. Not to mention the actions of both Die Stalhelm and the Sturmabteilung in Berlin. It's quite Hitler's fault that Berlin turned into a battleground, and Hugenberg just made it all the worse by joining in with the SA.

Q. How would you put an end to the massive unemployment in Germany?

A. Trough the application of public works programs, relief for the unemployed, stimulation of the economy and nationalization of some industries. The public works programs will ensure at least some temporary employment among the population, as well as giving some activity in the economic sector. The unemployment relief will give some temporary help to suffering and unemployed Germans. A direct injection of money into the economy could potentially kick the economy into gear. The nationalization of certain industries which are to be determined, serves the purpose of getting more people employed by removing the profit motive of businesses, therefore allowing the government to employ more people even if it is at a loss. These are the things i believe will help us out of the current economic depression.


Q. Would you support a plebiscite on the Hohenzollern monarchy being restored?

A. As a firm supporter of the Republic i am firmly opposed to any reinstatement of the Hohenzollern Monarchy. So if any such plebiscite were to take place i would firmly campaign against it. And i would only support such a plebiscite if there is a major show of support for such a measure.


Q. Do you believe that socialism must remain the irreconcilable goal of the SPD??

A. The vision of the SPD should always be that of achieving a Demokratisch-Sozialistische Gesellschaft. A society where there is not just democracy in the political sphere, but in the economic sphere as well. A society where the minerals and energy of the land are brought to the service of the community at large. A society that allows every German to live in dignity. A society with a strong welfare system that makes as few people as possible fall trough the cracks. A society where the average German need not worry about the cost of education or healthcare. And these are just some of the things the SPD should strive for. The end goal of the SPD should be the fulfillment of the Heidelberg Program, which will lead us to this Demokratisch-Sozialistische Gesellschaft.

Q. Do you support President Hindenburg staying in office?


A. Only if he seems to be the only viable alternative. I would personally prefer that someone from our own party runs, or if not that at the very least someone closer to the political center than Hindenburg is. So overall i would prefer not to see Hindenburg staying in office, but if the other options are not viable i will reluctantly do so.





Upcoming Events

Presidential Election First Round: 13 March
Presidential Election Second Round (if necessary): 10 April

[Elcaspar]

Kurt Schumacher speaks to the ADBG

"First off i would like to thank the ADGB for inviting me to come speak in front of all of you. It's truly a great honor to be able to speak in front of all of you on the issues that speak to the country, the Freie Gewerkschaften and the working men and women that makes up both of those."

"It is no secret that the we live in times of great precariousness for our economy, for our citizens and for our Republic. Around 6 million of our citizens are unemployed, living in hunger, misery and pestilence due to the persistent refusal of the outgoing Chancellor Brüning to do anything but tightening credit and cutting wages. Not to mention that innocent citizens are the victims of attacks by SA and the Der Stalhelm on a weekly, if not daily basis."

"But there is an alternative to these things my friends. We can solve this period of economic misery by having government actually intervene in the economy. We can give at least give the Germans temporary work trough a public works program, we can ease the suffering by providing relief to our unemployed citizens, we can kick start the economy by injecting some money into it, and we can nationalize some industries to remove their profit motive to get more people employed. This part of the path of recovery for Germany, alongside the fulfillment of the Heidelberg Program."

"And wherever possible the ADBG should come out in force to protect the citizens of the Republic against the likes of the SA and Die Stalhelm. It should fulfill this role as a member of the Iron Front.
It should fulfill this role alongside the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, whom i also urge to take part in protecting the citizens of this Republic. It's a precarious time for the Republic, so i urge the ADBG and all other organizations of the Iron Front to steel themselves against groups whose actions would seek to undermine the Republic."

"That is all."

[Brother Jonathan]

Prof. Carl Schmitt gives lecture on the Presidential Election

"Our situation at the present moment can best be described as precarious, and this Presidential election may be the final straw for Germany. If the German people should elect, in the final round, a candidate committed to the eradication of the powers of the sovereign, then we shall be doomed to discord and disorder of an ever growing magnitude. We must elect a President who shall not hesitate to use the state of exception, granted to him by our Constitution, to quell the riots, the fighting, the general unrest that has plagued our cities.

I was much pleased to read that the worst of the violent usurping organization have been, by and large, declared illegal in the name of the public order. This is of course a welcome. It is, however, regrettable that our police and military are unable to use to the full extent possible the tools needed to quell the agitation of the Communists and other domestic opponents of Germany. Truly, the lackadaisical approach we have seen in the enforcement of these laws is symptomatic and emblematic of our ossified systems, rendered impotent by the lack of clear sovereign authority. The hesitancy, on the part of our leaders, to act is the result as well of the engraining of the liberal bureaucratic class into the national political organism, which itself is the byproduct of a misplaced liberal faith in institutions and laws, and a crippling distrust of the sovereign and his just powers.

To address this present crisis, we will need strong leadership. Though I shall not make a single endorsement at this time, I do urge all Germans interested in the preservation of order to vote for a candidate who will not hesitate to act, to use the power of the sovereign to restore order to the chaotic streets of Germany.

To this end, I ask all candidates so inclined to commit to the public their intent to use Article 48 of our Constitution to take the steps necessary to restore order to Germany. We must now act to quell the violent and dangerous revolts that are simmering about us, and only by taking these steps can we have any hope of preserving Germany as we know it..."

[NewYorkExpress]

Hitler's response to Carl Schmitt

Hitler, campaigning in Muinch, responded to Carl Schmitt by saying he would "strongly consider" a Presidential Government should he win.

He also said that the proper solution to fighting was simply to outlaw the Communist Party, and imprison the members of said party.

He told voters there was a "place" in Germany for any German who was not a Communist, or other undesirable, though he did not clarify what he meant by undesirable.

[RGM2609]

Hugenberg campaigns for President Hindenburg all around the country

Alfred Hugenberg went to Northern Germany and East Prussia in order to mobilize the right wing voters living there for President Paul von Hindenburg, holding massive rallies there, as well as in Vienna, where he went to mobilize German nationalists with the promise that Paul von Hindenburg will fight for them in his next term. Here is his schedule -

3rd-4th March - Visit to Vienna, rally with German nationalists and meetings with Austrian politicians

5th-6th March - Rally in Breslau, visit at the local DNVP and Die Stalhelm HQ, meeting with people living in the slums, meetings with German aristocrats living there, visit at the place of the Breslau violence

7th-8th March - Rally in Rostock, visit at the local DNVP and Die Stalhelm HQ, meeting with people living in the slums and organizing actions to help them, meetings with German aristocrats living there

9th-10th March - Rally in Schwerin, visit at the local DNVP and Die Stalhelm HQ, meeting with people living in the slums and organizing actions to help them, meetings with German aristocrats living there

11th-12th March - Rally in Konigsberg, visit at the local DNVP and Die Stalhelm HQ, meeting with people living in the slums and organizing actions to help them, meetings with German aristocrats living there

13th March - Return to Berlin to meet with President Hindenburg and the DNVP/Die Stalhelm Leadership, protect the capital from potential Communist coup

The speeches of Alfred Hugenberg were not the only help the DNVP gave President Hindenburg during the campaign, as both the party officials and the militiamen were instructed to help as much as possible the presidential campaign. Die Stalhelm received explicit orders to avoid violence, as to not associate Hindenburg with the Weimar street fights. The exception to this rule were the Communists, who the militiamen were instructed to attack whenever the opportunity arises and join forces with the NSDAP to finish them off.

 

[NewYorkExpress]

Hitler

Hitler has instructed the SA to avoid street battles during the fortnight leading up the Presidency, with the exception of Berlin, where the SA will be attacking Communists with the assistance of Die Stalhelm as the opportunity arises.

[Devout Centrist]

Comrade Thälmann's Comments on Recent Right Wing Violence before Departing Berlin

Quite frankly, it sickens me that the right wing paramilitary groups have been given free reign to run wild through the streets of the Berlin. The KPD asked the Hindenburg government to restore order, yet thousands of our brothers and sisters have been beaten senseless by reactionary thugs.

Our Party will not disarm the working men of Berlin while militarist mobs cause chaos. The RFB will continue to use appropriate force to protect the working class in Berlin and around this country. To that end, I am once again calling on the Iron Front to stand alongside the RFB against the Fascist mobs of Hitler and Hugenberg.

It has also come to my attention that Herr Hitler is departing Germany to meet with Italian Leader Benito Mussolini, a bloodthirsty militarist of questionable character and of even lower stature. The Nazi's openly meet with one of our enemies from the Great War, yet they have the gall to call us puppets of some foreign government? It is clear that the Fascists will stop at nothing to spread their pernicious influence throughout Europe. Hitler has repeatedly called for another imperialist war, a final war that will 'once and for all' settle the destiny of the German people. It's clear to me that this 'destiny' is nothing more than a spot in the common grave.

He and his lackey Hugenberg tell us that a good German has 'nothing to fear' from a Fascist government. Yet they have committed themselves to a nakedly pro-war agenda. Do the German people not fear for their sons when they hear such words?

A President Hitler would use the full force of his office to trample on the rights of the working man and clear the way for a second Great War. Why else forge closer ties with Fascist Italy?

[RGM2609]

Alfred Hugenberg responds to the rants of Communist Thalmann

During his speech in Vienna, which will be published in major newspapers, Alfred Hugenberg responded to the paranoid rants of the KPD Leader Ernst Thalmann. Here is what he had to say -

Today, the Presidential candidate Ernst Thalmann, you might be familiar with him... (makes pause for the crowd to boo), yes, the Bolshevik agitator who wants to make Germany, and Austria probably, a Soviet Socialist Republic, ranted about the Hindenburg Government not doing something to help him and his soldiers! Well, Comrade, it is doing something! It banned your terrorist, anti-national organization and it sent Die Stalhelm, the true vanguard of the German brethren, to make sure it stays banned! And Die Stalhelm will stop at nothing to make sure that illegal Communist organizations will stop haunting the streets of our glorious cities! (makes pause for crowd to cheer) And no matter how much you scream and get offended by it, Paul von Hindenburg will not allow for you, Communists, to steal the sovereignty of the German state and throw it to the USSR! (makes pause for crowd to cheer)

[KaiserDave]

Note to party leaders: PM me or post the vote you are instructing your Reichstag members to vote

Major Reichstag Vote: Ernst Thälmann (as proposed by Herr Hugenberg)

Result:





Dereich




Communist Party of Germany - 77 seats

Vote: Nein!

Socialist Workers' Party of Germany - 1 seat

Vote: Nein!

Social Democratic Party of Germany - 142 seats

Vote: ?

German Centre Party - 68 seats

Vote: Ja!

German State Party - 20 seats

Vote: ?

German People's Party - 30 seats

Vote: Ja!

German-Hanoverian Party - 5 seats

Vote: Ja!
Bavarian People's Party - 19 seats

Vote: Ja!

National Rural League - 9 seats

Vote: Ja!

People's Justice Party - 4 seats

Vote: ?

German National People's Party - 93 seats

Vote: Ja!


German National Socialist Workers Party - 107 seats

Vote: Ja!

[Continential]

I vote Nein!

March 1st-4th: Campaign in urban areas for the votes of Laborors
March 4th-10th: Karl Frank will campaign for the voters of the Working Class across Germany
March 11th: Karl Frank will campaign in Munich
March 12th: Karl Frank will campaign in Berlin

[NewYorkExpress]

The NDSAP votes JA!